We've added a Python API for pipeline integration and asset managment. We understand that making your tools work seamlessly is important and believe that this should result in some pretty nice workflows being developed.

The API comes with a fair number of relevent examples, an inbuilt script editor, full QT gui toolkit bindings and it is already pretty powerful. It is based on Python 2.6.5

Along with the Python we've added...

* Realtime fractal noise shaders and masks. Great for adding breakup and detail to those nice clean textures

* Levels Filter - With histogram and familiar controls

* Texture mirroring, (left->right, top->bottom etc). Although this isn't full symmetry painting yet, we hope it will be pretty useful for those of you with symmetrical UVs.

I've just added a video to YouTube showing some 2D animated paint fixing in Mari, and we've added a great user case from Method studios. Have a look at these here.

So then, onto 1.3. We're well into the process of making our proof-of-concept PTex code usable, should have some interesting news about displacements, will be showing some fun procedural texturing code and some not-very-glamorous but life-saving snapshot version managment.

No firm news on ATI cards at the moment, but we did pass a major milestone regarding this last week. We should have a clearer picture as 1.3 develops.

The addition of Python is such great news. If any studios were still looking for reasons to pick up Mari, this should surely seal the deal. I'm looking forward to whipping my one Python-savvy colleague into making some nice little tools for us now.

Definitely; a massive thumbs-up to The Foundry for all the new Python goodies! I really enjoyed playing with it during the betas - it's a very elegant and simple API, and the developers were really helpful and supportive throughout. We were able to get our asset management interface running in Mari in less than half an hour, which is at least fifteen unique shades of awesome.

Originally Posted by earlyworm:
Jack - I haven't looked into this, is it possible to create our own filters - or is that something you guys/gals need to implement still?

Kinda. You can write custom GLSL shader modules. The HSV example shows how to do this. You could write your filter as a shader module then bake it into the channel. A bit of a work around but still useable.

These can also be used to write GLSL versions of in-house shaders. This would allow you to pick whole material types from the module list, i.e. add a Wood, metal or plastic material.

The map and parameters names in Mari can be the same as your production shaders. Using the API you could then extract the settings and pass these downstream to look development.

I wonder if there are plans to incorporate some sort of web-based library of textures, as it is done in zBrush and MudBox to give the users quick access to a large variety of royalty free pics without having to leave the application.

Of course, plain simple google search picture results would be already enough a library for users, but that may give some legal headaches..

Originally Posted by dennissedov:Something tells me that Image Engine is using Mari - hence the Python.

Python is pretty common in most 3d & 2d compositing applications these days(Nuke is largely python). All large companies need it for pipeline integration. Being able to hook into your internal database and call up the right version of the model. Also basic things as naming files with your own naming conventions. There is a whole mess of example scripts in the python menu.

Originally Posted by beaker:Python is pretty common in most 3d & 2d compositing applications these days(Nuke is largely python). All large companies need it for pipeline integration. Being able to hook into your internal database and call up the right version of the model. Also basic things as naming files with your own naming conventions. There is a whole mess of example scripts in the python menu.

I was being a little sarcastic here, knowing that Image Engine was the company who helped develop Python binding for Nuke =)

Originally Posted by deadalvs:I wonder if there are plans to incorporate some sort of web-based library of textures, as it is done in zBrush and MudBox to give the users quick access to a large variety of royalty free pics without having to leave the application.

There is a Community tab in Mari - but it's currently empty and I can't find any info on it in the user guide (or any previous internet info on it).

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